Take a Breath and Hold on Tight
by SafeHarbor
Summary: Set mainly during the summer after Quinn's sophomore year at Yale and Rachel's sophomore year at NYADA. Takes place in the Sometimes the Stars Line Up universe, mostly consisting of Quinn and Rachel remembering when they drove back home to Lima together after their finals were over. Road Trip Faberry.
1. Take a Breath and Hold on Tight

Author's note: So I really didn't expect anyone to read the first part of this, lol, so thanks for taking the time. Your reviews actually got me through a little bit of a rough/stressful time last week, and I can't thank you enough for that. ;) I'm posting this as a separate story because where I started writing from for this part takes place a few years before Sometimes the Stars Line Up, and it wouldn't really have made sense to add it as the next chapter. At least it wouldn't have to me. Thinking of doing that messed with my brain, lol. Anyway, this chapter is a bit angsty and a little bit longer, but it needed to happen to give a bit of backstory. Like I said before, I don't mind if you all critique it as long as you're gentle about it. :) Oh, and the song lyrics are from "Count on Me (Somebody)" by Tonic. It came on on shuffle while I was writing this and it just seemed to fit.

To the guest who said they wanted to see their marriage and what led them there, I'll gradually get there. :)

Diana: that's a cute idea. I'm sure the boys' birthdays will be celebrated in some form or another. Not sure about the other glee club members yet, except for Brittany and Santana. They're the only ones I can guarantee will be making an appearance, but I will definitely keep the others in mind. :)

babyblue2189: Who gave birth to who will be explained soon. :)

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or any of the characters, and I'm broke so please don't sue.**

* * *

Quinn was sitting next to Rachel at their favorite local coffee shop in New York as she tried not to let her nerves get the better of her. They both had the day off and were waiting for Kurt to show up. They had planned their little get together a few days before and had gotten there fifteen minutes early at Quinn's insistence, but the waiting only furthered her anxiety. Rachel was busying herself by drinking her tea with honey and checking her email on her phone, and Quinn.. well, Quinn fidgeted. Quinn Fabray was fidgeting. Quinn Fabray never fidgeted. Unless you counted the time when she walked up to Rachel at the mall intent on asking her out, kissing her, or both. Or the time she waited for Rachel to return from the bathroom at that fancy restaurant. She had spent the dinner with a diamond ring in a little black box burning a hole in her coat pocket, and it was now or never. However, she wasn't nearly as nervous then as she was right before their first kiss. The two of them had danced around each other for some time by then, and it was starting to wear Quinn down.

Quinn recalled how tense she had been that day and how she had started to lose her nerve right beforehand, thus causing her to fidget. She also remembered the concerned look on Rachel's face when she looked back at her and she chuckled to herself.

"Rach, do you remember that day at the mall when I walked right up and kissed you?" Quinn asked.

"Oh, you mean after you sat down, got up and walked away, turned back around, and then walked right up and kissed me?" Rachel replied with a smirk. "Of course I do. Why?"

"I was just thinking. I probably feel just about as scared and nervous now as I did then."

"Aw, baby. Don't be scared, ok? Everything turned out perfect that day, despite both of our nerves, and I'm sure today won't be any different."

"But what if he says no? What if he's ok with it but Blaine isn't?"

"Well, I suppose that's always a possibility but let's just try to think positive for now, ok?"

"Right. Ok."

Rachel took her hand and interlocked their fingers as Quinn sat back and idly ran her finger over Rachel's wedding band. It was identical to her own, and she reminisced about the long drive home to Lima that led up to the summer day that followed; That was the day she finally got up the courage to kiss the woman she now called her wife.

~~~Flashback~~~_  
_The summer after her sophomore year at Yale, Quinn and Rachel made the drive back home to Lima. Quinn felt a little on edge; Being in the same car as Rachel was intoxicating and nerve-wracking at the same time. She felt stupid for feeling that way, but she had only been confined in a car with Rachel a few times in the past two years, and it was usually just to go out to grab some food so it didn't last long. Ten hours in the car with Rachel might just kill her, especially if she kept being as.. well, as Rachel as she was being right then. Quinn risked another glance over at her through her aviators and had to clench her jaw to keep the giggle bubbling up inside her from spilling out. Rachel was leaning against the door of the car with her knees pulled up to her chest, and it made her look even tinier than she was. She had her left arm wrapped around her legs and her phone was in her right hand; She bit her lip as she bobbed her head along to whichever song was playing through her earphones and she scrolled down on her phone with her thumb. Quinn was surprised that she wasn't singing along with her music, but it was early yet and they'd only been on the road for two hours.

'Eight hours to go..' Quinn thought. She looked one more time at the petite girl sitting in her passenger seat, and she couldn't help but think about how much it felt like she belonged there.

She turned her gaze back to the road, but she couldn't help the small smile that played over her lips. Quinn focused on driving for a while, letting herself get lost in her thoughts, the steady hum of the road beneath her tires, and the music playing softly on the mix cd in her car's cd player. She must have been pretty deep in her thoughts, because suddenly she jumped at Rachel's touch. Her hand was mid-thigh on Quinn's leg and her skin burned beneath her shorts where Rachel's palm touched her.

"Earth to Quinn.. This is ground control to Major Tom.."

"Oh my god. You seriously just quoted David Bowie?"

Rachel stared at her for a second in surprise before remembering to close her mouth and she quickly removed her hand from Quinn's thigh.

'Jesus god, marry me.' Rachel thought, then rolled her eyes at herself. 'Right, like that would ever happen. Finn wouldn't even marry me, so the chances that somebody like Quinn Fabray would – God, stop it Rachel. Your thoughts are ridiculous. You two are just friends.'

It wasn't her fault Quinn was so perfect and irresistible; No one had ever gotten her random song references, and if they did they just ignored her so she had weaned herself off the habit back in high school for the most part. Now the first time she had done that in years, not only did Quinn not ignore her, but she had smiled and indulged her, supplying the artist of the song. Rachel wanted to kiss her right then and there, but she collected her thoughts and managed to speak, somehow.

"Anyway, now that I have your attention, are you doing ok? If you're tired of driving we can switch."

The track that was playing ended and moved on to the next, and Quinn registered the words of the song that she had listened to many times while thinking about the girl who was now in her passenger seat.

**I need to be around you  
I want to fall into your eyes  
I love to feel you close to me  
But there's no peace of mind**

"I'm good, Rach." Quinn said with a small smile. "Are you getting hungry? I know we started out really early."

"I could go for some food, sure." Rachel replied.

"Ok. Next exit you see with signs for food, let me know. Deal?"

"Deal." Rachel kept her gaze on Quinn and smiled softly. Quinn's insides warmed when she realized Rachel was staring at her.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" Quinn asked, feeling rather unsure of herself suddenly. Rachel kept gazing and shook her head.

"No, Quinn. I'm just happy we're friends." Rachel said softly as she dipped her head and looked back out the window.

**I live to hear you laughing  
I long to feel your hands fall down  
Along the side of me  
A change of life is hard to find  
There's no peace of mind**

'Well damn it if that's not a kick to the gut,' Quinn thought sadly to herself.

**If you ever need somebody  
If you ever need somebody to love you**

"I'm happy we're friends too, Rachel." Quinn replied, thankful that her aviators were dark enough to block out her eyes and the sad expression they turned her gaze back to the road as Rachel looked out the window at the passing trees, checking for a sign that would let her know a place to get food was nearby. After a few moments of silence, Quinn noticed that the monotony of the passing scenery and the hum of the tires had lulled Rachel into an easy sleep, and Quinn tried her best to keep her eyes on the road instead of on the adorable sleeping form of her friend. A few miles later, Quinn spotted a sign for a Dunkin' Donuts and smoothly changed lanes and took the exit off towards the right. Rachel was still asleep as Quinn pulled into a parking spot, and she sat for a minute as she debated whether to wake her.

'She did say she was hungry. Just wake her up, Quinn, and stop thinking so much.'

Quinn unbuckled her own seatbelt and turned to Rachel, who had shifted in her sleep so that she was now facing towards Quinn. A lock of her hair had fallen into her eyes and Quinn reached out and softly tucked it behind her ear. Her hand shook a little as her fingertips brushed across Rachel's cheek, and she let them linger there for a moment. When the side of Rachel's mouth quirked up into a smile near her hand, she quickly withdrew it and turned to face the steering wheel to try to keep her breathing in check. When it looked like Rachel wasn't actually waking up, Quinn faced her again. She let her eyes trace over Rachel's features; Her brown hair, her expressive eyes that seemed to hold so many emotions even in sleep, her nose.

'God, that nose.' Quinn thought to herself, remembering how Rachel had almost gotten a nose job in high school, and she smiled because she hadn't gone through with it. Quinn knew it was no thanks to her and she honestly did feel bad that she would have let Rachel go through with it; She secretly loved Rachel's nose.

Her eyes continued their path down Rachel's face to her lips, and she felt her breath catch in her lungs. She wanted to just lean forward and kiss her; Every part of her ached to be in Rachel's arms, but she couldn't do that. She wasn't even sure if Rachel had feelings for her at all, other than friendly ones. She couldn't take the thought of putting herself out there just to be shot down. She steeled herself and softly shook the sleeping girl's shoulder, calling out her name.

"Rachel. Rachel, wake up."

Soft brown eyes fluttered open and looked into her own, and Quinn felt like she was drowning in them. Rachel had slept over in her dorm plenty of times, but she always woke up before Quinn. Seeing a sleepy Rachel wake up and look at her, first with a bit of confusion, then warmth once she woke up a little further, made Quinn want to wake up before Rachel all the time.

**So kiss me for believing  
Love me now for always knowing  
When to let you go  
****A change of life is hard to find  
There's no peace of mind**

"Nooo, come sleep, Q." Rachel whined and pouted, closing her eyes again as she patted the passenger seat with a tired hand. Quinn couldn't stifle the laugh that bubbled up from her throat this time, and Rachel pouted even more.

"Rach, I can't. We're in the car, there's not enough space." Quinn replied stoically. "Besides, we have to get some food and get going if we want to make it back to Lima at some point today. Don't you want to see your Dads?"

"Later. Cuddle now." Rachel was still half asleep and it took all of Quinn's self-restraint to not climb over to Rachel's seat and take her in her arms for a nap. Instead, she grabbed her blue Yale blanket from the backseat and draped it over Rachel.

"I'll be right back, promise."

Quinn left the keys in the ignition, grabbed her wallet from the glove compartment, climbed out of the car, and headed into the restaurant to get food and some coffee. Rachel sighed and rested her head back on the headrest as she snuggled into Quinn's blanket, seeking comfort and a reprieve from the ache in her heart. She breathed in and her eyes fluttered closed as the words of the song that was playing flowed over her. Her eyes started to tear up as she listened, and it didn't help that Quinn's blanket smelled like them; like their Friday nights and their mornings after she slept over, and Rachel's heart ached even more. They were finally close friends, but Rachel feared that was all they would ever be. Sometimes Quinn was so easy to read and other times she was like a brick wall, and Rachel just didn't know how to keep Quinn present with her in the moment. It always seemed like every time they got somewhere, Quinn would close herself off and Rachel would feel her slipping through her fingers again. Fighting back tears, she turned to face the passenger door, praying that sleep came and that the tears held off.

**If you ever need somebody  
If you ever need somebody to love you  
If you ever need somebody  
You can count on me**

Quinn walked into Dunkin's and headed straight to the bathroom to splash some cold water on her face. Rachel's request for cuddles had thrown her a little and she needed to get some space from the situation before heading back to the car, and to her. The song that was playing in the car was stuck in her head, and to her dismay, the words were playing on repeat in her mind.

There's no peace of mind  
Change is hard to find  
Count on me

'You're just her friend, Quinn. Get a grip. She said so herself.' Quinn thought as she grabbed a paper towel and patted her face dry. Taking a deep breath, she exited the bathroom and went to stand in line. After a few minutes, it was finally her turn to order; She got a Medium hazelnut coffee and a bacon egg and cheese bagel sandwich for herself and a blueberry bagel with peanut butter for Rachel. She also grabbed an orange juice and two bottles of water just in case either of them got thirsty later. She stepped to the side to wait for her number to be called and worried that she had made Rachel upset. The thought of that was just about unbearable, and she bit down on her lip to hold back tears. What she didn't know was that at that moment, Rachel was losing the fight against her own tears.**  
**

**If you ever need somebody  
If you ever need somebody to love you  
****If you ever need somebody  
You can count on me.**

Back in the car, the song finally ended as Rachel covered her head with Quinn's blanket, which made it a little worse in a way because all she could smell was Quinn. She just didn't want anyone outside seeing her cry. She knew she was an emotional person, but the dancing around each other that she and Quinn were constantly doing was starting to take its toll.

Quinn stood staring off into space as the guy working behind the pickup counter called her number, and she only snapped out of her reverie when a gentleman next to her tapped her shoulder.

"Miss? Are you number 56?"

"What? Oh! God, I'm sorry. Thank you."

"No problem. Have a nice day."

"Uh, you too. Thanks." She said hurriedly as she gathered up their food and her coffee and made her way back out to the car.

She set the drink tray on the roof and opened the door, setting the bags of food down on the dashboard while she grabbed the drinks, placing them in the various cup holders throughout the car. Shutting the car door and shaking her head at herself, she turned the cd off and her eyes widened when she heard a sniffle come from the unmoving form of Rachel underneath the blanket.

"Rachel? Are you awake?" Quinn asked softly as she placed her hand on what she assumed was Rachel's shoulder.

"No." She answered with another sniffle, and Quinn knew then without a doubt that she was crying. "Please, Quinn, just leave me alone?"

She left the bags of food where she had set them on the dashboard and exited the car, quickly moving around to the passenger side. She opened the door and knelt right outside, gently lifting up the blanket. Rachel quickly buried her face into her arm, hiding her red rimmed eyes from Quinn.

"Ok, up you go. Come with me." Quinn said gently as she completely uncovered Rachel and took her hand, pulling her out of the car.

"Come where? Quinn, I look terrible."

"You look fine, and just to the backseat."

Rachel looked at her skeptically, but followed anyway. She got into the backseat and scooted over so that Quinn could sit down too. Quinn shut the door and turned to Rachel.

"Are you going to tell me why you're crying?" Quinn asked in a quiet voice. It was breaking her heart to see Rachel cry, but she had to hold it in. Rachel needed her to be a friend, and that's what she was going to be even if it killed her. Rachel shook her head no in response and wrapped Quinn's blanket tighter around scooted closer to Rachel and gently took the edges of the blanket out of Rachel's hands before she moved in and wrapped her arms around her. Rachel's chest shook a little as she fought back more sobs, but Quinn just held her close and ran her fingers up and down Rachel's back.

"Shh. It's ok, Rach."

"I don't know if it is. Ok, I mean. Maybe I'm just tired, I don't know."

Quinn didn't stop to think as she slid her hands under Rachel's thighs and lifted her up on her lap. Rachel rested her head on Quinn's shoulder, burying her nose into the crook of her neck. Wet hot tears slid down Quinn's skin and soaked into her shirt but she didn't care; What mattered to her was making sure that Rachel would be ok. Quinn rested her head against Rachel's and softly ran her fingers through her had felt her heart skip a beat and her breath caught in her lungs when she felt Quinn's hands under her thighs. She was trying to get a hold of her emotions, but Quinn was being so sweet that it made her cry even further. She buried her face into Quinn's neck, and Quinn simply held her tighter. Rachel breathed her in, and Quinn's floral and honey scent invaded her nose and started to make her feel sleepy. Being in Quinn's arms never failed to calm her down, and this was no exception.

After about ten minutes Rachel's crying had subsided and her arms grew heavy, and Quinn was pretty sure that she had fallen asleep from the exertion of her crying. Keeping one arm wrapped around Rachel, she grabbed her pillow that she had put in the backseat and placed it against the car door before leaning against it. She used her free hand to cover them both in the blanket, and slid her arm back around Rachel to join the other one. She was very thankful that her back windows were tinted so no one could see in as she kissed Rachel's head and closed her eyes.

A little while later, Quinn woke up as she felt Rachel stir in her arms.

"Quinn?" Rachel muttered and nuzzled her nose into Quinn's neck.

"Hm?" Quinn was still very groggy from the unexpected nap, and she kept her arms wrapped around Rachel and hummed a little as Rachel nuzzled her neck. They stayed like that for a few minutes while they properly woke up.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep." Rachel said, and Quinn tried her best not to shiver at the feeling of Rachel's lips brushing against her neck while she spoke.

"It's ok. Are you feeling better?"

"A little, I guess. I was probably just tired. How long was I asleep for? What time is it?" Rachel made no motions to remove her face from the crook of Quinn's neck; Her scent was comforting.

"About half an hour. It's 11:05 am."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"It's ok. I fell asleep too." Quinn spoke softly as she turned her head a little and unexpectedly found her nose buried in Rachel's hair. She could smell her shampoo and it was a little fruity, but the scent that always caught Quinn's attention was the cinnamon and vanilla that seemed to be purely Rachel. It was warm and comforting and to Quinn it smelled like the real spices, not the cheap imitation vanilla or the fake cinnamon in big red gum. She rubbed Rachel's back a couple of times before speaking again. Rachel smelled intoxicating to Quinn, and if she expected to be able to drive she needed to put some space between herself and Rachel.

"We should probably get going." Quinn whispered into Rachel's ear, and she thought she felt her shiver, but told herself she was just imagining it.

"Right. Yeah, we should." Rachel quietly agreed, sliding slowly off of Quinn's lap and climbing up into the front seat. Quinn exited the car and walked around the back towards the driver's side and slid in behind the steering wheel. She glanced at Rachel one more time as she started the car, turned on the gps, and headed back out to the road.

* * *

Ok, so a little bit of a cliffhanger and mid-flashback, which I feel bad for doing, but I sort of felt like this would be too long if I included everything I wrote. The good news is I already have the next part of this pretty much written, so it shouldn't be as long a wait this time. Seriously, if it goes past two days it's because I forgot and I give you permission to bombard my inbox on here, lol.


	2. Spin Around One More Time

Author's note: I had fun writing this chapter and I hope parts of it make you guys smile like it made me smile.

-S

faberry69: thank you, that's very sweet of you. Also, your username.. wanky. ;) lol.

Iza.G: updating now. :) thanks for the review.

babyblue2189: thanks again. :)

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or any of the characters, and I'm broke so please don't sue.**

* * *

The next few hours of the drive passed fairly quickly. Quinn basically inhaled her breakfast sandwich once she was out on the highway while Rachel took her time savoring her blueberry bagel. After she had finished eating, Rachel plugged her phone into the auxiliary jack in Quinn's car and sang along to her favorite songs, which was practically every one considering it was her phone. Quinn joined her in singing along with some of the songs, and since she had hung out with Rachel every weekend for the past year or so she was familiar with most of them, but she preferred to listen. Listening to Rachel sing made Quinn's heart warm and feel like anything was possible. She had heard her sing many times over the past six years, and somehow it still elicited the same familiar slow and gentle warmth to spread through her every time. The only difference was that now she admitted how it made her feel, at least to herself. She had been admitting a lot of things to herself lately. Eventually Rachel turned off her music and turned to face Quinn.

"Thank you, for earlier. I'm sorry I broke down like that. I guess I've just been a little stressed lately, what with finals and anticipating this trip. It wasn't my intention to become such a mess, so I'm sorry." Rachel looked over at her with sad brown eyes, and Quinn wished she could wipe the sadness away.

"It's ok, Rach. It's been a stressful time for both of us, and it was a good nap. I needed it too." Quinn said with a straight face, trying to not let her emotions play across her features. A moment of silence passed between them, and Rachel spoke up again with a smile.

"I have an idea. Want to play a game?" "What type of game?" Quinn asked.

"A road trip game, like license plate lingo, or something."

"What's that?" Quinn asked and furrowed her mock gasped, and Quinn couldn't help but laugh at her dramatics.

"You've never played road trip games?"

"The Fabrays aren't really ones to take road trips. We did once for a family reunion and we didn't talk to each other the whole time. My sister and I had gotten in a fight before we left over something stupid, and my father slapped us both. That, of course, pissed off my mom, so she and my dad didn't talk the whole time either. It was a long, miserable car ride. Anyway, you should teach me how to play. What do I have to do?" She said and smiled.

Rachel had looked sad while Quinn recounted her road trip experience, but she perked up a little when Quinn showed an interest in playing the game she suggested. Sitting up in her seat, she turned a little towards Quinn and smiled.

"Ok. So we have to look at the license plates on cars that pass by, and the first person to come up with a phrase that the letters could stand for earns a point."

"That could be fun. Can you do one first though so I can make sure I've got the rules right?" Quinn suggested.

"Sure. Ok, so that plate says RTB 827. Oh, and the phrase has to make sense or you don't get the point, even if you say your phrase first. So for this one, I'd say rock the boat."

Rachel bounced a little in her seat, and Quinn smiled at her.

"Now that song is going to be stuck in my head. Thanks." Quinn jokingly squinted her eyes at Rachel.

"What? Oh.. 'Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat'..? God, that brings back memories."

Quinn laughed. "I didn't mean to make you all nostalgic."

"It's ok. Alright, ready to play?"

"You're on, Berry."

"Bring it, Fabray."

Rachel tapped Quinn's knee and turned to look at the license plate on the car that sped past them. It read STM 192, and Quinn was the first to blurt out her answer.

"Speeds too much." she said with a smile.

"Or you drive too slow.." Rachel said with a wink as she burst into unbridled laughter. Quinn couldn't help but laugh with her even though Rachel had technically made fun of her, because it was the kind of laugh that made her insides want to burst from happiness.

"Hey! I do not!" She said between laughter, and reached over to tickle Rachel's side. "For your information I'm already ten over!"

"Quinn, no, stop! No tickles! I was just kidding!"

"Say you're sorry."

"What? No, it was a joke!" Rachel gasped out as she tried to squirm away from Quinn's hand.

"Say you're sorry." She tickled and squeezed her gently.

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry! Watch the road, crazy girl." The two girls shared a smile, and Quinn turned her gaze back to the road. Rachel took a minute to catch her breath before speaking.

"Alright, one point for you. What about this one in front of us?"

Quinn glanced at it and saw that it read FAF 720 and she and Rachel sat there in thought for a moment.

"Fierce and Femme!" Rachel shouted and Quinn jumped a little, then laughed after getting over the shock.

"It reminds me of the Troubletones. I really miss Santana and Brittany; Hopefully I'll be able to catch up with them this week." Quinn said as she kept her gaze on the highway.

"I'm sure they miss you too. Do they know you'll be back in Lima?"

"Yeah, I talked to Britt yesterday on the phone, and I heard Santana yelling in the background that we all need to hang out."

"Santana always did yell a lot." Rachel said as she laughed.

"Yeah, that hasn't changed, it seems, but she's definitely come to terms with her sexuality and her feelings for Britt, so she's less of a bitch now. I'm pretty sure she'll always be a little loud though."

Quinn looked down and noticed she would need to stop for gas soon, so she switched lanes over to the right.

"I'm going to take the next exit to fill up the gas tank; Would it be ok if we switched? I'm starting to feel a bit tired."

"Sure, that's ok, if you don't mind me driving your car." Rachel said.

"No, I don't mind. I trust you." Quinn replied with a smile.

"At least someone does." Rachel said softly.

"Hey, what do you mean? Who doesn't trust you?"

"In case you forgot, I was a little manipulative in glee club when it came to solos. That, and I don't think Finn ever really trusted me to be able to make my own decisions. I feel awful that I went along with him for so long." Rachel answered.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. Life is about making mistakes and learning from them, and in case you forgot, I was a complete bitch to you in high school. I still don't know why you were always nice to me. It's strange how the biggest issue between us, for me at least, was Finn and he isn't really part of either of our lives anymore. What's even more strange is that after how I treated you, you still wanted to be my friend."

"Of course I wanted to be your friend. I knew that underneath your façade, the Quinn I know now was lurking just under the surface." Rachel smiled softly at Quinn.

"I guess I have you to thank for that. Being your friend changed me for the better. I'm just sorry it's taken us so long to get to this point."

"Everything happens for a reason, right? Anyway, we're here now, so let's try not to dwell on the past too much. It doesn't do anyone any good to get stuck there."

Rachel reached out and quickly squeezed Quinn's hand, bringing her own hand back to rest in her lap and acting like the simple touch didn't set her heart aflame with longing.

Quinn switched over to the exit lane and took it, driving about a mile before coming up on a gas station. It was around 1:45 pm when she pulled in and filled up the car while Rachel got out to stretch her legs. Thankfully the gas station had a convenience store, so Rachel headed inside to pick up a couple of snacks. She bought some peanut butter crackers, a cherry pie for Quinn, and two more bottled waters. As soon as she purchased the items, she dropped the bag off in the car before turning around and going to use the restroom. Quinn finished pumping the gas and followed suit; She had to pee really bad, so she wasn't paying attention when she opened the bathroom door and ended up bumping straight into Rachel as she walked in, accidentally hitting her on the cheek when she threw her hands up in alarm.

"Oh my god, Rach, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine. It wasn't a very hard hit."

Quinn took a few seconds to assess Rachel's cheek, and decided she seemed ok for the moment.

"Okay. Don't go anywhere, I just really have to pee."

Quinn rushed into the stall and when she finished she walked out and washed her hands. She turned to Rachel who was leaning against the wall and stepped up close as she took her chin in between her thumb and forefinger, turning Rachel's head to the side so she could see her cheek. Rachel just tried to keep her heartbeat and breathing in check, because Quinn's body was almost leaning against hers. Just a few more inches would have Quinn pressing Rachel against the wall.

"I'm so sorry."

"It's okay Quinn. It doesn't hurt that badly."

"But it does hurt?" Quinn's eyes trailed over the red mark on Rachel's cheek.

"Just a little but the pain is already fading." She said as she stared into Quinn's hazel-green eyes.

"Brings back memories of prom during our junior year, huh?" Quinn said and let out a choked laugh as a tear fell from her eye. She placed her palm softly on Rachel's red cheek, and it didn't slip by her that it was the same cheek that she had slapped in the bathroom. She and Rachel locked eyes as they mentally relived the moment, and Rachel covered Quinn's hand with her own as she wiped the tears from Quinn's cheek with her other hand.

"I'm so sorry I slapped you." Quinn whispered as she looked down and away from Rachel, praying for forgiveness even after all this time.

"It's in the past, Quinn. Please stop crying, because I forgive you."

"You do?"

"Of course. I forgave you a long time ago."

Quinn met Rachel's eyes again for a moment, searching them as if she was deciding on something; She removed her hand and replaced it with her lips, giving her a quick kiss on the fading red mark on her cheek before turning and walking through the bathroom door and back out to the car. Rachel leaned back against the wall and took a moment to slow her heart down and compose herself before exiting the bathroom and following Quinn.

When they were both back in the car, neither of them spoke for a few minutes as Rachel settled into the driver's seat, adjusting the seat and mirrors before turning the gps back on and heading out on the highway. The silence was easy, and despite the slight excited tension they had both felt in the bathroom, they were still comfortable with each other. Quinn tried to stay awake, but her eyes fluttered closed of their own accord and she slept easily through the next two hours.

Rachel quietly sang along to the radio when a song came on that she knew and tried not to wake Quinn up. She let her mind get lost in the music and the memory of Quinn's lips on her cheek, and the two hours that Quinn was asleep flew by.

**4:05 pm**

Quinn shifted in the passenger seat, trying desperately to go back to sleep. She was so tired of being in the car and sleeping the rest of the time sounded like a good option, but mostly she wanted to get back to the dream she'd been having. She and Rachel were back in her dorm room and her dream self had straddled Rachel's lap and kissed her, laying her down on her bed. She kept her eyes closed to try to relive the image, but dreams were fickle things. Once they were gone, all that was left was the memory and the longing. Quinn gave up and adjusted the seat back to its normal position with a frustrated huff.

"Hey, sleepyhead. Good nap?" Rachel asked with a smile, and Quinn thought to herself that as good as her dream was, waking up to the real Rachel next to her was better than the intangibility of her dream.

"Yeah, it was good." Quinn said as she stifled a yawn. "Are you ok? Do you need me to drive for a little?"

She reached for the water bottle in the cup holder and took a sip to clear the dryness of her throat.

"No, I'm doing ok for now. I like driving your car, she handles well."

Quinn coughed as her mind dove into the gutter at Rachel's comment, and the water in her mouth quickly went down the wrong pipe.

"You ok? Do you need the Heimlich? Don't die on me, Quinn Fabray."

Quinn coughed a few more times and took another sip of water before responding.

"I'm fine. It just went down the wrong pipe. I'm not dying."

"Good." Rachel smiled.

Quinn reached into the backseat and pulled her cd case on her lap and put in another mix cd, then pulled her camera out of her bag. She spent the next half hour or so looking over the pictures she had taken when she visited Rachel a couple of weeks before finals. They had gone wandering around New York acting like silly tourists, and Quinn took pictures in Times Square and Central Park like it was the first time they had ever been there. They had come across the fountain that the glee club had sung and danced on while they explored the city before nationals their junior year, and they both jumped up on it for old times' sake. She remembered how Rachel had skipped by her and tapped her on the shoulder.

_"Tag. You're it!"_

_Quinn shot to her feet and chased Rachel around the fountain, quickly catching up to her and tagging her back. _

_"Tag." Quinn smiled widely at her, feeling happy and slightly breathless, and Rachel smiled back before jumping back up on the edge of the fountain._

Quinn came across a couple candid pictures she had taken of Rachel during that visit, and they always made her smile. The first one she took was of Rachel skipping around the fountain with a big grin on her face. Of course, her smile had turned into a playful pout when Quinn splashed her with water as she ran past. Rachel continued around the fountain, politely waiting until Quinn put away her camera and then splashing her back, starting an all out splash war between the two.

The other candid picture she had taken was in Central Park. She and Rachel were walking along the path in comfortable silence when Rachel suddenly veered off into a copse of trees, disappearing from Quinn's view. Quinn had no idea what Rachel was doing, but she followed her silently into the trees. She walked around a couple of trees with thick trunks as she looked for her, and stopped suddenly when she spotted her. Her heart seemed to expand at the sight before her; Rachel had crouched down in front of a baby maple tree and seemed to be whispering to it softly as she gently caressed its small leaves.

Quinn remembered raising her camera and moving off to the side to get a clear shot of Rachel and the small tree, thanking God for her zoom lens as she zoomed in and focused the shot. Quinn smiled as she looked at the picture now on her camera; Rachel was face level with the top of the small tree and she had her hand outstretched. She held a small leaf in between her thumb and forefinger, and Quinn remembered how Rachel had gently rubbed it as she whispered to it. Rachel and the baby tree were in focus and the scenery behind her was blurred out, and Quinn thought, not for the first time, how it was her favorite picture that she had taken since she started taking the photography classes at Yale.

* * *

Sorry to end it there, but I wrote this, and the next part I have written is the two of them arriving in Lima, so I have a small chunk of time missing that I need to write. Anything you guys want to see happen in the last couple hours of the drive? Don't say a kiss! That will come later, promise. You can review with your thoughts or pm me, or hit up my ask on tumblr. I'm over there at magicluckycharm. :)


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